


Sunshine Eternal

by Pinkhairandroses



Category: Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris, True Blood (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:41:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29838273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkhairandroses/pseuds/Pinkhairandroses
Summary: On the streets of New Orleans, teen runaway Sookie Stackhouse finally found what she'd been searching for - love, acceptance, and family. What could possibly go wrong? Pre-Rev, AU. It's kind of what I do. :P
Relationships: Eric Northman/Sookie Stackhouse
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Grumble insomnia. Grumble middle of the night. Grumble I really hope you love my new story. :P

May 1994

Sookie Stackhouse was terrified. Her mother's latest boyfriend had come onto her, pushing her up against the counter and kissing her, when she was trying to do the dishes after school. Sookie asked him to please stop, and then tried hard to push him away when he wouldn't. Mama came in and saw and threw him out, but then she grabbed a knife out of the kitchen drawer and came after Sookie. She meant to use it, too. Sookie saw it in her head. She even sliced a long, deep cut across Sookie's forearm; Sookie had put it up to protect her face when Michelle slashed at it. Fortunately she missed the big artery and vein on the underside by an inch or so, but Sookie was bleeding pretty bad and should probably have stitches.

Sookie ran out of the house, grabbed her bike, and took off. Fortunately, she still had her hoodie in the basket, and she wrapped it as best she could around her arm. She didn't really have anywhere to go, but she knew Hadley had been staying at a shelter in New Orleans sometimes, and she had an idea of where she usually hung out. Hadley had been bugging Sookie to join her off and on for a couple of years, and Sookie guessed it was finally time.

When Sookie was 8, the car her family was in was washed off a bridge during a flash flood. They had all been on their way home from a church picnic, and the sun had shone all day long. The storm had come out of nowhere. Her Daddy, Gran, and brother, Jason all drowned. Sookie and her mother survived. Sookie had spent the last 7 years wishing she had died, too.

Sookie pedaled the bike out to the highway. She got off and let it go down the bank off the side of the road. It crashed into a heap at the bottom, about fifteen feet down. All she had were the clothes on her back, a pair of worn sneakers on her feet with holes in them, and a hoodie covered in blood wrapped around her arm. She stuck out her thumb and walked backwards, really glad that it was the left arm that was cut. Nobody was gonna pick her up if her hitching arm was all bloody. Plus it would tire super easily.

She hoped that whoever picked her up wasn't from Bon Temps, and wouldn't want her to fuck them or anything in payment for the drive. She really really hated having sex. A lot. Unfortunately, she had found that it was the second best way to stay out of trouble. The best way was to read minds and avoid it in the first place. Unfortunately, plan A made plan B really fucking unpleasant when plan A didn't work.

Only a few minutes later, an orange VW van pulled over and gave two short friendly honks. Or, more accurately, meeps. It sounded like The Roadrunner from the Bugs Bunny cartoons. Sookie smiled. The van was full of friendly-looking kids a little older than her, with long hair and dark baggy clothes. A big cloud of pot smoke poured out when they opened the side door. Sookie took a quick peek in their heads and confirmed what she intuited - these guys were OK. Their brains were red and snarly and hard to read, but she could get the idea of their emotions, and they were all feeling friendly, stoned, and happy. Even better, they were on their way to New Orleans, too, and thought the more the merrier.

They even had a first aid kit, and the big handsome one in back, Alcide, fixed her up while they smoked her up, cleaning the wound and super gluing it shut. In the front seats were Maria-Star and Jake. Amanda sat in the middle row, while the seat in back was folded down into a bed. This was where Alcide was working on her arm.

After he got her all bandaged up, he leaned down and kissed her. She didn't mind. Pot always made thoughts just kind of slip through her head, unless she took a turn down Paranoia Lane. And Alcide was a very hard read anyhow. Plus he was really cute and she felt grateful. And it wasn't like she hadn't fooled around a million times before.

They stopped at a gas station, and Sookie got out to stretch her legs and use the bathroom and try to clean as much of the blood off her as she could. She even rinsed her hoodie out in the sink. She was really glad that she had run into a bunch of cool people like this, who were happy to help her out and treat her half decent and not ask too many questions. Alcide even bought her a Snickers and a fountain Coke.

She told them about why she was taking off. Or, at least, today's portion of it. Her Mama had gotten even worse since she started tweaking. And some of the dirtbags she brought home… Not good.

The house was disgusting unless Sookie cleaned it for hours after school, and it was almost as bad by the next evening. There were cigarette butts on the floor or stubbed out in half full dishes of food, empty beer cans and take out boxes everywhere, skeezy guys coming and going at all hours, too, and always pissing all over the damn bathroom floor and toilet seat. And Sookie knew her mom had moved on to selling. Drugs and herself. And getting the fuck out before her mother tried to rope her into doing one or other, too, or before her mother killed her, had been necessary.

They made it to New Orleans before midnight. They dropped Sookie off near where Hadley hung out in the French Quarter, and waved and meeped goodbye. They had given her the number for the payphone near where they were going to be staying, and they already had plans to meet up with her again in a couple of days.

"See you later, Sookie Sunshine!" Alcide called out one of the back windows, and she waved at them until they were out of sight.

She probably should have gone with them; they had asked her to. But Sookie was already feeling guilty that they did as much for her as they already had, and she didn't want to take advantage of their generosity. Better to beg from family, and that's what she was going to be doing, going to Hadley.

She walked the streets, trying to find somewhere that looked familiar from Hadley's memories. She asked several whores who looked about her age if they knew Hadley, and, if so, if they knew where she was, but she had no luck. A few knew her, but nobody had seen her for weeks.

Sookie spent the next couple of days searching for Hadley, but came up short. Nobody Sookie talked to had seen her for at least a month, if not longer. Word on the street was that she found herself some guy and had moved in with him and maybe gotten married, but nobody had any real idea of where she might be or how to reach her. Or, at least they didn't think of it when Sookie was looking. Sookie just hoped she was safe and happy.

It was plenty warm outside, so bunking down in a park was no big deal, and she was able to get more than enough panhandling for a big cup of coffee, some beignets, and a breakfast burrito one day, and even a shrimp po'boy and fries at Domilise's the next.

She was thinking of possibly trying to do some busking, maybe some fortune telling. She would probably do real well, especially from people looking for a creepy New Orleans experience.

The next day, Sookie met up with the kids from the van. They had come to NOLA to try to make it big as musicians, and had been trying to get booked in clubs all over the city. No luck so far, but they had only been trying a couple of days. They had a small cult following in Shreveport, but nobody in New Orleans had heard of Alcide Herveaux and the Werewolves, and apparently nobody cared, either.

Sookie just sort of wound up tagging along with The Wolves, as they called themselves for short. They parked the van kind of by a levee every night, laid down all of the seats as best they could, and they all snuggled down. There were a bunch of other kids with no other place to go who hung out there in cars or vans or sleeping bags, or even just on the ground, too. It was kind of like a party all the time. Sometimes Sookie fooled around with Jake, and sometimes with Alcide. Hell, she and Maria-Star had had a very giggly hook up late one night when they were both drinking Boone's Farm strawberry wine. They were so hard to read, with a little pot, she found that she even enjoyed it.

Amanda took off with a couple of other guys after a few days, and only came back to pick up her stuff. After that, it was just the four of them.

She smoked pot and did some of the designer drugs when they were around, but stayed far away from anything you had to inject, anything that you could OD and die on, or anything that was addictive - a strict no prescription pills, no coke, no meth, no heroin policy. She barely touched booze, too, She'd seen enough of what that shit could do from her mother and her junkie friends. The Wolves weren't really into that shit, either. Pot and beer was their idea of a good time, and that suited Sookie fine.

She told fortunes for change on Bourbon Street, and was happy to be able to kick in for food and gas and pot. Everyone was amazed how she was able to do it, but she brushed it off, saying she just "read people well". She thought Alcide suspected all along, though.

Sookie never did find Hadley, but she did have a family now, regardless. The Wolves got a few shows in some of the rougher clubs in town, and Sookie would sneak in and dance. After Amanda left, The Wolves just became a trio and Maria-Star took over on backup lyrics, and they ditched the second guitar. Sookie thought they sounded better, too.

Sookie got along with everyone - gutter punks, club kids, goths, old vagabonds, schizophrenic bag ladies, shelter volunteers, prostitutes, drag queens, the workers in the shops and cafes along Bourbon Street, and even the cops. She always seemed to know what to say or do, or where to go to avoid trouble and keep her friends safe and out of jail. Alcide always called her Sookie Sunshine, and it kind of stuck, so she was often met with calls of, "Hey, Sunshine!" wherever she went.

Jake and Alcide were big dudes and were very protective of her. Sookie didn't understand why they weren't as protective of Maria-Star until their first full moon, but it didn't phase her. And it gave her a great excuse to finally come clean about her telepathy.

For the first time in her life, Sookie felt safe and happy. Who knew that dropping out of school in the tenth grade and becoming homeless at 15 was the best way to go about that?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, because of a technical issue, I'm going to go ahead and post this now. Chapter 3 will be up next week!

Sookie woke up smooshed between Jake and Alcide. They both had their arms around her. Maria-Star was squished up against the back hatch on the other side of Jake. "Guys? Can't breathe!"

Of course she could. She had been perfectly comfortable before she woke up. But still. It was tight quarters, and she really had to pee.

All of a sudden, four huge hands started tickling her. "Happy birthday, Sunshine!" Alcide bent down and scratched her neck with his stubble, which made her squeal. Jake just kept on tickling.

Sookie was giggling too hard to say anything, so Maria-Star mumbled, "Better let her go pee before she pees all over you. Happy birthday, Sookie."

The guys immediately stopped tickling. "Thanks Maria-Star." Sookie bent over Jake to give Maria-Star a kiss on the cheek, and Alcide smacked her butt, which was stuck up in the air.

"One! Two! Three! Four!"

Sookie covered her ass with her hands and laughed. "Cut it out, you big jerk!"

"Sookie! You need to get your birthday spankin's! Don't worry. Only 13 more to go." He moved her hands out of the way and held them. He was crazy strong. "Five! Six! Seven!"

"And a pinch to grow an inch." Jake reached up and pinched her butt, hard. Sookie squealed again, but then giggled some more. She kissed Jake and Alcide's cheeks, too, and went to find someplace to go.

When she got back, she snuggled back down on the bed between her guys, spooning up behind Jake. She didn't really know how to define whatever this was other than family. She wasn't in love with them, and they weren't in love with her. She loved all three of them fiercely, though, and the four of them were always together. And they almost never fought, or even argued. They all fooled around whenever the mood struck them, but there was never any jealousy, either. And they all fucked other people, too, except for Sookie. Other people were too easy to read. Too risky. Too whatever. She just wasn't really interested. But nobody would mind if she did.

Alcide tapped her shoulder, so she turned over. He started kissing her, so she went along, happily kissing him back. He trailed his hand from her head, slowly down her back, and then cupped her ass and ground himself into her. And then started smacking her ass again. "Eight! Nine! Ten!"

Sookie started giggling and couldn't stop. She rolled onto her back so Alcide couldn't spank her any more. Jake turned over and both guys laid down against her, with a head on each boob and a leg thrown over one of hers. She giggled again. "Maria-Star? What in the fuck has gotten into these dorks?"

"You're legal today, Sunshine! Sexy and seventeen."

Sookie laughed. "It's not like that stopped any of y'all last night. And there's still an ounce and a half of weed inside the seat cover. Who gives a fuck?"

"It's more fun when it's official. I don't have to feel like such a pervert."

Maria-Star and Sookie both burst into laughter. Maria-Star said, "But, Alcide, you totally are a pervert!"

Jake was sucking on Sookie's nipple through her shirt. When Alcide noticed, he started on the other. Sookie sighed, "I guess I'm getting a sandwich for my birthday. Come on guys, let me up. Now I'm hungry."

But Alcide was undoing the button of her cutoffs and sliding his hand in, and Jake was sticking his tongue in her ear with his hand inside her tank top, which she really did like a lot.

"Hey, guys. What about me?" Maria-Star leaned down and started kissing Sookie with a lot of tongue. It wasn't often that all four of them fooled around at once, and they almost never did three on one. Sookie was torn between sensory overload and sensory oh my God. After a couple more minutes, Sookie pulled away. "It's a telepathy thing, guys. I just need a few. Keep going without me, and I'll be back."

She grabbed a joint and lighter out of an Altoids tin, and took a walk. She saw a few other kids she knew by sight and waved at them. She shared a couple of tokes with the hot dog cart guy, and he gave her a free birthday hot dog. She kissed his cheek and happily ate her breakfast. They had been parking on this block near the French quarter for a few weeks, and they were always polite and never left a mess, and nobody had called the cops on them yet.

When she was nice and mellow, she walked back toward the van. There was an ad for a rave stapled onto a telephone pole, and she grabbed it. She let herself in the van, and Alcide was between Maria-Star's legs, having his own breakfast. She was busy sucking Jake's cock.

"Well, looks like y'all don't need me. I guess I'll take another walk…"

"Get over here, Sunshine. I want some legal pussy."

Sookie folded the ad up and stuck it in her pocket before shucking off her clothes and joining the pile of bodies on the little bed at the back of the van. They had a good time fooling around, and then all snuggled up together, just because it felt nice.

"I love you guys so much."

"Back atcha, Sooks," said Jake. Alcide and Maria-Star were almost asleep again. They all took a nap before the worst of the heat of the day.

Later on, when Sookie reached into her pocket looking for her lighter, she found the folded-up ad she'd torn off the phone pole. "Hey guys! Check this out. There's a rave tonight at a warehouse on Tchoupitoulas Street. We should totally go!"

Alcide hated techno and electronica, but agreed it would be totally worth it. The Wolves were finally getting booked fairly regularly, and had a decent following in the grunge and post-punk scene, but there was quite a bit of crossover. Most kids at the rave would know them, or know of them. They had a decent reputation among the emo and goth kids, as well as the gutter punks. There shouldn't be any trouble, and they might even be able to network and maybe pick up some more gigs.

Jake said, "Hey! Know anyone who has E?"

Alcide started to laugh. "Sookie on E. Best. Time. EVER. Always."

"Guys…"

Maria-Star said, "Oh, come on, Sookie. You always have such a great time. And you never fuck anyone but us. You just… love everybody! And you make the whole world smile!"

"And smell like sex on a stick by the end of the night."

"Shut up, Jake!"

Sookie had done ecstasy a handful of times, and always enjoyed herself a lot. She was just always embarrassed afterwards because she was almost too sweet and friendly. And apparently it made her smell sweeter, too. At least to her wolves with their extra sensitive noses. The scent started out light, but by a few hours in, she was drenched in it. Their parents would have recognized the fairy smell that the MDMA just turned up the volume on, but none of The Wolves had had the pleasure of meeting a fairy before they set out on their own at 18. The smell drove them all crazy, though, and they always had a blast at the end of the night.

Sookie and Maria-Star knew all of the best clothing donation drop off locations, and they were always extra full on Sundays. They found a bunch of awesome things for the four of them to wear. The guys found some E, grabbed some Popeyes for supper, and picked Sookie up a birthday cupcake.

After they ate, they drove to a truck stop on the way out of the city and got showers. They picked up some snacks and filled the gas tank. The store even had packages of glow stick bracelets on the rack with the toys, there to keep bored kids quiet on long road trips. The girls bought a bunch, excited to wear them at the rave.

They drove to the warehouse and got ready in the back of the van. Since they were all planning on getting high, they just decided to park in the furthest corner of the parking lot and spend the night. And probably the next day, too. Sookie was wearing tiny little black cut off shorts with black and white striped knee socks, her lime green Converse sneakers, and an electric green crop top. She did her hair in two high pigtails. Maria Star had wide-legged jeans that laced up the front with a leather string, and a tight white fitted sleeveless shirt that would look great in the blacklight. They both were wearing ten glow stick bracelets on each wrist. The guys just wore what they always wore - Levi's and black T-shirts with flannel shirts over top and Docs. They wouldn't even touch the awesome stuff Sookie and Maria-Star had found for them.

Sookie shoved a few lollipops in her pocket (E sometimes made her grind her teeth, and the lollipops helped) and took her two tabs. It would take 45 minutes or so to kick in, and the doors were open and they were almost ready to go.

She jumped out of the van and lit a joint, waiting for her beautiful guys and gal to join her. There were going to be a lot of brains inside, and she wanted just a little something to take the edge off. The E actually made the telepathy feel kind of nice, with so many friendly things to hear, but if she was in a bad mood going in, it sometimes stuck around. This was better. The weed would tide her over until the E kicked in.

She was just so happy. So far, it had been the best birthday she had ever had, hands down. Even better than last year, when they were a little poorer and didn't know each other quite as well.

Alcide got out next and wrapped her up in a big hug. Then he reached down and started smacking her ass again. "Eleven! Twelve! Thirteen! Fourteen! Fifteen! Sixteen! And SEVENTEEN!" That last one almost hurt, but he rubbed it better. Of course. Pervert. By the time he was done, Maria-Star and Jake were out, and they were all ready to go. The line was moving quickly, and they were inside within a few minutes.

The place was packed with her fellow weirdos - goth kids, emo kids, club kids, punk kids. Gay kids, straight kids, trans kids. All kinds of kids that were abused and tortured by their families and peers at home and at school for being different, but were completely accepted here. Just like her.

The guys saw someone they knew and took off, hoping to drum up some gigs, while Sookie and Maria-Star hit the dance floor. Sookie pointed out a guy that Maria-Star had fooled around with a few times. She was really into him, and bit her lip. "Are you sure you don't mind, Sookie?"

"No way! I'm really starting to fly. Go have fun!" Sookie kissed her on the mouth and giggled, and Maria-Star went over and started flirting.

Sookie was feeling amazing. The music was wonderful, and everyone was so nice and beautiful, and she was just having the best time. She felt like she could dance forever. She unwrapped a lollipop and popped it into her mouth.

A little while later, Sookie felt someone place their hands on her hips, dancing right up against her back. She reached out with her mind, but heard… nothing! Even when the cold hands moved up to her bare waist. There was just a hole where the brain should be.

Sookie spun around, eyes wide. She was dancing with a blonde girl, maybe a little older than her, but definitely a little shorter, even in heels. She was so beautiful. She smiled at Sookie, showing great big dimples. "Oh my god! You are the prettiest little thing that I've ever seen! What's your name?"

"Pam. You?"

"My name is Sookie. Pam, it is just so nice to meet you!"

"Likewise, I'm sure. How is it that you smell so wonderful and so disgusting at the same time?"

"Well, honestly, I don't know! My guys say that E always makes me smell really sweet. But they have extra sensitive noses. I didn't know I smelled at all!"

"Your guys? Sensitive noses... Gotcha. Sookie? Would you like to maybe find a nice quiet spot and get to know each other a little better?" She licked her lips.

Even though she looked about Sookie's age, she didn't really sound like it. But she did seem awfully sweet and interesting, and Sookie really did want to get to know her a little bit better. "Sure, Pam! I would really love to."

Pam grabbed her hand and led her off the dance floor and down a long hallway. They went through a door and were in a large interior bedroom with an attached bath. There were no windows. And, of course, it was much quieter. "Wow! This is so pretty!"

"My God. Are you always so goddamn perky?"

Sookie giggled. "Kinda? Although I get kind of extra perky on E. And smelly, apparently. Pam, how come I can't hear you?"

Pam tried to hold in a smile. This Sookie was kind of ridiculously delightful, if maybe not very bright. "If you can't hear me, Sookie, how are you answering me?"

Sookie bit her lip, "Oops!' Then she whispered, "Let's just pretend I didn't say that."

Pam sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside her. "Come and sit next to me. Is there anything I can get for you to drink?"

"Um… No? I don't think so." She sat down next to Pam and sighed. "I really like it here, Pam. Is this your warehouse?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is."

"Oh, that's nice. How come you invited me back here? Did you want to kiss me?"

Sookie wasn't really into girls at all. Being with Maria-Star was OK, but she really preferred to sleep with her guys, even though she loved them all the same. But Pam was so pretty, and Sookie was really interested in how quiet her mind was. And she kind of wanted to be kissed. She thought it would feel nice.

"Sookie, I would like that very much."

Pam kissed her, and it was almost a revelation. Her lips were so soft, her tongue was so silky and wet and cold in her mouth. Her guys were a few degrees hotter than her, even. Pam's hands were so cool and delicate on her waist and the nape of her neck. And it was so _quiet._ Sookie moaned into Pam's mouth and placed her hand on Pam's leg.

"Sookie, I want you."

"Mmmm… Ok." Sookie flopped down on the bed and giggled.

Pam tried to hide a smile again. "You really are the most adorable thing I've ever seen. It's almost disgusting."

"Actually, I hear that a lot."

"I'll bet you do. Will your wolves come looking for you?"

Sookie's eyes widened and she sat straight back up. "Wolves? What wolves? I don't know anything about any wolves."

"Oh, well done. Very believable."

Sookie cringed. "Whoops?"

"It's OK, Sookie. I knew all about Weres long before you let anything slip. Now. Are they going to come looking for you?"

Sookie nodded. "Yup. Absolutely."

"Ok. Is it alright if we go for a little drive then? I don't think either of us will appreciate them breaking the door down while we're in the middle of having our fun."

Sookie shrugged. "Ok. That sounds fine to me. Where are we gonna go?"

"I have a hotel room nearby. I will bring you back here well before dawn. Ok?"

Sookie shrugged and followed Pam outside. Pam led her to a grey minivan. "Hey! We have a van, too! See? It's the orange one way over there in the corner."

"Ahh. I should have recognized the scent of patchouli and desperation."

They both got in the van and Pam pulled out of the parking lot. "Don't be silly, Pam. We aren't hippies! And besides, I thought you said I smelled good! I did have a shower today. And even after I fucked my smelly wolves. Pam, do you _enjoy_ the smell of patchouli and desperation?"

"Wolves? Plural? Well well. You are a busy girl."

"They're my family."

"Funny, you smell nothing like them. Underneath, at least. Which is very very good. Is your family tree a wreath?"

Sookie rolled her eyes. "My adopted family, Pam. I'm Southern, but I'm not that Southern. They love me very much, and I love them, too."

"So, why are you here with me?"

"Oh. We're not like that. We love each other, but we can love other people, too."

"Aaah. So when you aren't fucking your family, you can fuck everyone else."

"Exactly."

They parked in front of a huge hotel and got out. Pam tossed the keys to the valet and they went inside. "This is some swanky business, Pam."

Pam looked like she was biting the insides of her lips. "Sookie, if you don't watch out, I am going to insist on seeing you again."

"You're so sweet. Ok! I'd like that."

They got into the elevator, and Pam put her room key card in the slot and hit the button for the penthouse. Sookie said, "Ooh la la!" and then burst into giggles. Pam couldn't help but smile, but then the smell of fairy started to fill the elevator. "My my my, Sookie. Speaking of sweet, you smell absolutely intoxicating." She closed her eyes and willed her fangs to stay put. This was going to be magnificent. Not only was she young and firm and gorgeous, she was a goddamn fairy hybrid. And at least a half by the smell. Yum. How had she missed that before now? She couldn't wait to brag to Eric. He had made fun of her for buying that warehouse. He said that drugged out little goths with Mommy issues were a dime a dozen, and it would never be worth the price she paid. She was going to get her money's worth tonight, all by itself. And the girl had already agreed to see her again. Maybe Sookie could even become a pet, if she could be extracted from her Weres. And Pam would have fairy blood on tap!

The elevator stopped and they got out. The penthouse was the only room on the floor, and it was enormous. And this one was special, as the master bedroom had windows with UV-proof glass. The suite was Eric's, but he would understand. He was in California for the week, visiting an old friend, and didn't need it for anything.

Pam took Sookie's hand and pulled her inside. Sookie was trying to look at everything at once. She had never seen anything like this in her life. "So, what's a pretty little fairy doing hanging around a bunch of wolves?"

"Oh. I'm usually straight. Um… Well, I ran away from home a little more than a year ago when my Mama did this." She showed her the scar on her arm. "And they picked me up hitch-hiking. I was looking for my cousin, but I never did find her. So I stuck with my guys and we've been taking care of each other ever since!"

She looked healthy for homeless. And definitely smelled better than one would expect. And everything else, besides. Great teeth, too. Probably the fairy blood. She couldn't wait for a taste. It would be a big step up to go from homeless to hers, so Pam considered this a mark in her favour. "Well, that story is almost as sweet as you are. Except for the scar, of course. How old are you, Sookie?"

"It's my birthday! I am seventeen years old today. That's why I screwed them so much. They were celebrating my newfound legality."

"Certainly a cause for celebration. Happy birthday. I think I'll take a turn."

Pam leaned forward and kissed her again. Sookie kissed her back, and ran her fingers through Pam's hair. She pulled her mouth away. "Pam, you are so beautiful that you just seem to glow." She sighed happily and kissed Pam again. She didn't see Pam's eyebrows raise. Yes, definitely a fairy… But Sookie didn't seem to know at all. She had been homeless for over a year, was a recreational drug user, at least, and was obviously very open and experienced sexually. So why did she seem so damn innocent and naive?

"Sookie, are you sure I can't get you something? Maybe some strawberries and champagne to celebrate your birthday?"

"Oh, Pam, that would just be wonderful. Thank you so much! You are just the sweetest thing!"

Pam snorted a bit, and ordered a bottle of Kristal and strawberries from room service. She turned on the stereo and started playing some music. "Sookie? Will you dance with me?"

Sookie bit her lip softly and nodded. Her pupils were huge, and her high was close to peaking. The fairy smell, at its most concentrated, started oozing from her pores. She wrapped her arms around Pam's neck. Pam's mouth was only an inch or so below hers. She closed her eyes and kissed her hard, swiping her tongue across Pam's.

And Pam's eyes dilated, too. Fairy. It was all she could smell. It was everywhere. She needed it. Just a taste. She pulled her mouth from Sookie's and struck.

When she came back to herself, Sookie was on the floor. Her heart was barely beating, sluggish and irregular. "Fuck a zombie!"

She was with Weres. Full-blooded Weres. They were her _family._ They would come looking. They would have a Pack Master."Holy fuck. Fuck no!"

Pam had asked a couple of people about Sookie before she started dancing with her. _Everyone_ knew who she was. Knew who all of them were. "Holy shit. Jesus fucking Christ."

People had seen her dancing with Sookie. _Leaving_ with Sookie. The hotel would have surveillance footage. All of the people in the lobby… She was only seventeen years old! "Fucking hell! What am I going to do?"

Pam bit into her wrist and put it to Sookie's mouth. She massaged Sookie's throat, making her swallow. She did it again. And again.

Eric was going to silver her. Stake her! "Holy shit. Holy fucking shit."

There was a knock at the door. "Room service!"

"Coming!"

Oh, no. Pam ran to the bathroom and scrubbed the blood from her eyes and cheeks and mouth. She cleaned the blood from her arms and tore off her shirt. She threw on the robe hanging from the door. She did this all at vampire speed. She closed the bedroom door behind her, took a deep breath she didn't need, and opened the door.

What the fuck? "Hadley? What are you doing here?"

"Sophie-Anne says hi." And Hadley plunged the stake into Pam's chest. She put the Do Not Disturb sign on the outside door knob and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK! I KNOW! I'M SORRY! SHE'S MY FAVOURITE, TOO!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me all writing and stuff! Chapter 5 is off to the beta, so here's chapter 3. :D I'll post 4 later this week, too. And whatever YnB I get written. Kinda starting to worry about those kids... Thanks to ilovemysteries, as always, for being swell.

Eric Northman was just walking through the door of The Viper Room when he felt Pam's final death. He staggered, and nearly fell to one knee. The woman on his arm, whatever her name was, stumbled and fell, pulling over another woman walking past. Eric didn't notice. He ran from the club and took to the sky, barely escaping notice from a couple of winos further down Sunset Boulevard.

Of course, it was only 3 weeks past the summer solstice, and was already nearly midnight. He could go back to his friend William's and book a flight for tomorrow evening. It was too late to push through the paperwork for shipping a body tomorrow morning. He could fly himself and go to ground for the day partway.

The thought of sitting around and waiting until sunset tomorrow set his teeth on edge. He kept on flying toward Shreveport. He was losing time going East across time zones, of course, and had to stop for the day in New Mexico.

He made it back to Shreveport by 2:30 the next night, only 3 and a half hours before dawn. Where had she been? He went to his safehouse to make phone calls. Only then did it occur to him that he could have made the calls from William's and flown in tonight. He would have saved time and wouldn't be windblown and bug-splattered and covered in grave dirt.

First he checked his own voicemail and emails. He called her friends. He called her acquaintances. He called some of her old pets, who all started to cry because they missed her. He even called the Queen of Minnesota! Nothing.

He got himself cleaned up and died for the day. He would go to her home tomorrow.

The next evening, there were several messages on his cell phone when he rose. The first was from The New Orleans Police Department. They needed to reach Pam, and had somehow gotten his number as a contact. It was in relation to a missing girl at an underground rave at a warehouse Pam owned. He knew that warehouse would be nothing but trouble. The second call was from Lt Col Flood, the Pack Master of Shreveport's Long Tooth pack. The third call was from him as well, as was the fourth. Eric called Flood back.

"Flood. It is Eric."

"Look, Sheriff. A couple of my pack members who are staying in New Orleans went to a rave on Sunday night. The girl they were with went away with a vampire and never came back. They are worried sick about her, and so am I. From their description, the vampire was Pam. I want to know what in the fuck is going on, and where that little girl is. She's only seventeen years old. As a matter of fact, Sunday was her seventeenth birthday. They are ready to go to war over this, and I don't want them getting hurt."

"A Were? Not really Pam's type. No offense."

"No, the girl wasn't a Were, but she was living with Alcide Herveaux, Jackson's kid, Maria-Star Cooper, and Jake Purifoy from the New Orleans pack."

"I… I felt Pam's final death Sunday night."

"Jesus Christ, Eric. I'm so sorry. The little girl… From what I understand, she couldn't hurt a fly. She ran from an abusive home in Bon Temps last year and has been with Alcide and Maria-Star ever since. They're homeless. Living out of a van. The kids are trying to make it as musicians, and the little girl panhandles and reads fortunes on Bourbon Street. They're young and stupid, but happy as little clams. Or they were before this. They're beside themselves, Eric. What the fuck happened?"

"I don't know, but I guess I'm going to New Orleans tonight to find out."

Eric quickly packed a bag and threw it into the Corvette's trunk and took off. He made it to the warehouse in just over three hours.

The warehouse had been searched and cleared as a crime scene. The girl was missing, but she was already a runaway, and therefore not much of a priority for the NOPD. Eric called them back anyway, and told them that he would be available for the rest of the night at the warehouse if they needed to speak to him.

Eric walked through every inch of the building, checking each room for anything out of place, any odd smells, anything that would lead him to what in the fuck happened on Sunday night. He saved the safe room Pam had installed inside for last. He walked in, closed his eyes, and inhaled.

Pam's scent was strongest here. He also smelled Weres, two males and a female. Obviously the ones Flood mentioned. And a very sweet, delectable scent. If this was the girl, Eric understood why she was the centre of a Vampire-Were mystery.

It was nearing sunrise. Where else would Pam go? If she knew the sweet-smelling girl lived with Weres, she would take her somewhere else. Weres are protective and would not like their girl going off with a vampire. They would interrupt. Tomorrow night, he would check his NOLA safehouses. And, of course, the hotel suite. Knowing Pam, she would have gone for the penthouse.

He did collapse to one knee, then, his eyes bloody with tears. His sassy sarcastic beautiful Pam was gone. He got back on both feet and roared. He smashed a coffee table, a chair, and a bookcase. And then he was ashamed of himself and curled up in her bed. She must have slept here recently, as the pillow smelled like her. He hugged it to his chest and cried until dawn carried him away.

The next evening at sunset, there were NOPD officers sniffing around outside when he left the warehouse. He stopped to speak to them. He had no real information to give them; he couldn't mention his bond with Pam, or the Pack, or really any information that he knew. But he offered to help in any way he could, and they eventually let him go to continue his search.

There was an orange Volkswagen van in the parking lot as well. Two overgrown young Weres were shuffling from foot to foot, waiting to talk to him. Good. It looked like Flood warned them not to go off half cocked. "Which one of you is Herveaux?"

"I am."

"What can you tell me about what happened?"

Alcide looked like he wanted to say something aggressive, but then he took a deep breath and said, "Sookie was dancing by herself. We were off trying to book some gigs. A pretty little blonde vamp started dancing with her, and Sookie took her hand and went down a hallway. That's all we know. We didn't see it, but we heard from other people what happened, and we smelled it was a vamp. Right Jake?"

"Yeah. We sniffed around the bedroom in there, and followed their trail to the parking lot. That's where it ends, pretty much. We talked to someone who saw them getting into a minivan close to midnight."

"Can you describe the girl?"

"Yeah, she's blonde with blue eyes. Super cute. Stacked. Maybe five foot five."

Alcide added, "A lot of people on the streets call her Sunshine. I started calling her that the day we picked her up, and it sort of stuck. If you find her, you'll get it."

Eric raised his eyebrow.

Jake replied, "She smells fucking incredible. It's like she's so sweet she even smells that way. Like sunshine and honey, almost."

"And she lights up a room."

"Flood said there were three of you. Where is the third?"

Alcide said, "Maria-Star is taking it real hard. She's blaming herself, which is stupid. All three of us ditched Sookie on the dance floor. We dropped Maria-Star off with some friends. She didn't need to come here for this."

"And you're sure this Sookie wouldn't have done something to Pam and taken off?"

"No way. Sookie is really sweet and gentle, and doesn't know a thing about vampires. She knows about Weres, and that's it. She's hardly a Buffy. And she doesn't have anywhere else to go. We're her family now."

"How can I reach you? I assume you'll want updates. As will I if you hear from her."

"We share a prepaid cell, in case we get any gigs. Here's the number." Jake handed him a cheap business card with Alcide Herveaux And The Werewolves printed on it.

"Catchy name."

Alcide said, "Yeah, the old man wasn't so thrilled. Pack Master Flood even less so. It's not like anyone's gonna believe us, though. Nobody thought The Beatles were bugs, right?"

"I suppose not." Eric called their number with his, so they would have his number stored. He got in his Corvette and drove to the hotel.

When he tossed his keys to the valet, he said, "Mr. Northman! Is Ms. Ravenscroft still in residence? Her car has been here since Sunday night."

"I am not sure. I've just made it to town. Thank you."

Well, shit. It looked like he was at the right place, at least. He got into the elevator and put the key card in the slot and chose the button for the penthouse.

When he opened the hotel room door, there was a pile of ash just inside, along with his robe and a pair of slacks, her La Perla, her pearls, a pair of kitten heels... His Pam.

He went to the bedroom and sniffed. His fangs ran long in his mouth. "Fairy." Why in the fuck would fairies kill Pam? It made no fucking sense. He would need to check the surveillance tapes and call Niall. Find out what in the fuck was going on. He went into the bathroom and saw the bloody washcloth and Pam's bloody shirt on the counter. He sniffed them. Fairy blood. And Pam's. Obviously she had taken the shirt off herself, washed, and replaced it with the robe. What in the fuck had happened?

He heard a tiny sound, almost a squeak, coming from the shower. Maybe a bare foot or the rubber sole of a shoe sliding on the porcelain?

All of a sudden he felt absolutely terrified. What in the fuck was that? He wasn't scared of a little noise. He threw open the curtain and hissed.

Sitting in the bathtub was the girl, her arms wrapped around her knees. Blonde hair in pigtails. Terrified eyes rimmed in red. Bloody tears on her cheeks. Smelling like sunshine, Fairies, Werewolves, and Pam.

"Fuck."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I don't have another chapter ready yet, but meh. It's half done. That's close enough, right? Next YnB should be up tomorrow or the next day, too. Also half done or so. :P I am tired and slightly incoherent. Always great for writing. Thanks to ilovemysteries for betaing and stuff.

What in the fuck was he going to do about this? He didn't have the time or patience to deal with a newborn of his choosing, let alone a seventeen year old runaway orphaned newborn vampire who had attachments to Weres from two different packs. He had to admit that she was definitely his type, but she also looked timid. Although, to be sure, timid was not Pam's usual type.

Pam...

What he should do is turn her over to Sophie-Anne. After all, she was made and orphaned in Sophie-Anne's area. This should be her problem to deal with, not his. Sophie-Anne could find her a suitable foster. And the fact that this was obviously Pam's progeny… It should make no difference. He had his own problems to deal with. His own losses to work through.

But first he needed to find out what in the fuck had happened Sunday night. She and Pam had left the rave around midnight, and he had felt Pam's final death sometime before 2:00 Central. That left such a small window. Obviously, the girl was turned sometime between, and couldn't have killed Pam after she'd been turned; she was dead at the time. Theoretically, Pam could have bled into the girl's mouth as Sookie was dying before Pam turned to ash, but there would be much more blood in the room, and Pam wouldn't have been able to wash up and change afterwards.

He had so many questions, he had no idea what to ask first. He decided to go with a classic, even if he was almost certain of the answer.

"What is your name?"

"S-s-sookie." She was trembling so hard he was afraid she was going to shake the light fixtures loose from the ceiling on the floor below.

He sighed in exasperation, "Well, S-s-sookie. Can you tell me what in the fuck happened here?"

"Um. I went to a rave at a warehouse on Tchoupitoulas last night. This girl, Pam? She danced with me and then took me to a really nice room in the warehouse. She didn't want my guys to interrupt us, so then she brought us here. Um. We were dancing? And… and…"

She was leaking again. "And what?"

"And she bit me. She was so strong... And I thought that maybe I was just having a bad trip? But…" She wiped her eyes with her hands and then looked at the blood. "What is the matter with me? Am I dying?" She burst into tears.

Fuck. He was going to need to figure out how to get her fed. He walked back into the bedroom and picked up the phone to order room service, but how in the fuck was he going to keep her from draining the porter without a maker's command? And a pint was hardly going to keep her calm enough to walk through a lobby full of people. And he needed to check the security footage before they left. He really did not have the time or patience for this. He noticed the fairy smell again, much stronger in the bedroom. He put the receiver back down on the cradle and walked back into the bathroom.

"Why do you smell like the fae?"

But she was wrapped in a ball in the bathtub again, this time with her head bent down so he couldn't even see her face. "Girl!"

She jumped, and then seemed to shrink back into herself, never looking up.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her up, slamming her against the wall of the shower. He roared, "Why do your clothes smell like Fairies?"

She was sobbing now. "I don't know! I don't know anything! I was dancing with Pam and we were kissing and then she bit me. I guess I passed out, and then I woke up on the floor by the bed when I heard the elevator coming. And then I hid in here! That's all I know! I swear! Please don't hurt me."

Fuck. He knew he was being a complete dick, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He set her down on the floor and walked out of the room, closing the door behind himself. He needed time and space to get himself together.

Sookie's knees buckled when Eric let her go, and she fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She was so scared. What had happened to her? Who was the tall man and why was he so angry and mean? Was he going to hurt her? Rape her? Kill her? Where was Pam? How could she get away? She really wanted her wolves. Needed them.

After a few minutes, she managed to pull herself together a bit. She washed her face and hands and then looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin looked so pale it almost seemed to glow, the way Pam's had. The way the big blond guy's did, too. She pulled the elastics out of her hair, and bent upside down, massaging her scalp and combing through her hair with her fingers. When she stood up, it fell down her back in waves. Pale and bleeding out of her eyes or not, she was having one hell of a good hair day. At least she'd look good if she died of whatever this was. Trying to find the good in life was how she had managed to survive and keep her sanity.

But what was the matter with her? Bad Ecstasy? She looked at her throat in her reflection and saw no marks at all. Maybe it had all been a bad trip. Maybe she had imagined the whole thing. But the bleeding... Had she been poisoned? What happened to Pam?

She took a deep breath, and something nagged at the back of her brain, but she couldn't quite grab hold, so she let it go. She took another deep breath for good measure, and opened the door to the bedroom. Eric wasn't in there, and the door to the rest of the suite was closed. There was a phone on the bedside table, and she ran to it and called their cell. It was answered on the first ring, and Sookie was immediately crying again.

"Hello?"

"Alcide!"

The door to the bedroom bounced against the wall with a sound like a gunshot, and the big guy was filling the doorway. He looked way more pissed than he had before, even, and Sookie couldn't help but scream. Alcide was yelling on the phone and, even though she dropped the receiver, she could still hear him clearly over her shrieks of terror, asking where she was, what was the matter, and then yelling her name. The big guy had fangs and his eyes were glowing and he was coming for her and he looked so angry. She hoped so hard that this was just a terrible dream. Or maybe this was still part of the bad trip. She hoped that she wasn't just going to live her whole life in an endless bad trip now, like an urban legend come to life.

"Hang up the phone." His voice was flat and so cold. Her eyes darted all over the room, looking for a place to run. Instincts she didn't understand and couldn't recognize were warring with her common sense, and her body was momentarily paralyzed. And then, for just a moment, instinct won and she jumped through the penthouse window and started to fall.

Of course, he had to follow. There would be questions when she survived a twenty story fall. He jumped out the window and flew down to catch her in mid-air, putting his hand over her mouth before he flew her right back in through the broken window. What a nuisance she was turning out to be. He had a mind to just stake her. She was panicking, struggling and trying to bite and scratch like a hellcat.

*snick*

She immediately stopped fighting and he took his hand off her mouth. Her tongue snuck out from between her lips and she probed the strange new shape of her teeth. And Eric _felt_ the confusion. The calculation. The disbelief. The dawning realization. Then the horror, terror, and sorrow. They shared some kind of a bond. That had been the fear he had felt before he tore open the shower curtain. He had been too keyed up to notice it again until now. As if he needed this to get even more complicated.

This time, he loosened his grip and just held her gently as she wept. It was quite unforgivable how he'd treated her, and he didn't know how to go about fixing it. He hadn't even explained that she was Vampire before she was met with so much incontrovertible evidence that she had figured it out on her own. Or even that vampires exist in the first place.

She was definitely going to need to feed soon. She had been crying so much that the bedroom, bathroom, and both of them were smeared with blood. Plus she'd been cut in a dozen places when she jumped out the window, but those had healed, at least. When she calmed down and realized how hungry she was, she would get even more out of control. He needed her wolves to come. They were big men, they were Supes, and they cared for her. And they were strong enough that, with help from Eric, they would hopefully survive. And hopefully their familiarity would be enough to overcome the aversion. Honestly, he didn't know who else to call with Pam gone. He thought again of calling the Queen, but he really didn't want to bring any other vampires into this until he found out what had happened to Pam. Were puppies were bad enough.

Still holding the girl with one arm, he called the Wolves' cell phone with his own and hoped Alcide hadn't already called the police. Fortunately, it had only been a few minutes. Alcide picked up the phone almost before the first ring started.

"What the fuck did you do to her, you son of a bitch?"

"She is just very very scared. Can you come? We are in the penthouse suite of L'Hôtel Acadien. I will call down and have someone ready to escort you up."

There was a long pause. "Is that her crying?"

"Yes."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Yes. If she is able." He pulled the phone from his ear and spoke to her gently. "It is Alcide. Can you speak?"

She was very tense, but she was able to nod, and he handed her the phone and stepped away from her to give her some semblance of privacy.

With a hitch in her breath, she said, "Alcide? Please come and get me. I want to go home to you guys."

Eric closed his eyes. This was going to make things even worse, but it had to be done, and it would hopefully kill two birds with one stone; they needed to be informed, and she needed to feed. And hopefully it wouldn't kill a couple of wolves, too. Of course, she would burn to a crisp sleeping in a van. Not that her wolves would be interested in cohabitating with a vampire if it had been possible. That was going to hurt her even more. And he hadn't even warned the wolf. Fuck. What was he going to do with her?

At least he could have the Weres sniff the bed and floor to see if they recognized the scent. Maybe a fairy had followed them from the rave. He went to the hotel phone and called down to the front desk, asking to have his guests escorted up when they arrived. He supposed he would need to clean up Pam's remains in the interim.

Sookie handed him back his phone, the connection severed, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. He supposed he should try to have a conversation with her.

"Sookie, I am Vampire. Pam was my child and I was her maker. I turned her Vampire almost 150 years ago. Sunday night, Pam turned you into a vampire as well. She was your maker, but she was finally killed shortly after. I must find out what happened to her."

She was staring at a spot on the floor. She didn't react at all. He had no idea if it was where she rose or not, but she still wouldn't look at him. He probed the bond, and he couldn't really name what she was feeling. It was so indistinct, and felt incredibly… tenuous. Like a radio signal just out of range that would almost come in clear before dropping away completely at random intervals. He was starting to get very afraid that she was close to losing her grasp on sanity. He might have to just fly her to the palace anyway, and then come back to investigate on his own. Surely Sophie-Anne would have some donors that she wouldn't mind sacrificing if the girl was unable to stop feeding.

And wouldn't that be a fun aftermath to deal with. After all, she was described over and over as so sweet and gentle and how she couldn't hurt a fly. Fuck, what a nightmare!

"Please stay in here until I call you. I don't want you to hurt anyone accidentally." He didn't want to speak of the hunger directly if he could avoid it, but he also wanted her to realize what the consequences of her actions would be if she didn't obey. A command would be so much easier!

He left the bedroom and closed the door. If she called the wolves again, it would be of no real consequence. He gathered up Pam's belongings from the pile of ash. He set the stake aside, after smelling it intently. It triggered… something in his brain, but he just couldn't place it. The smell was too faint under the smell of Pam and death.

He walked out on the balcony to shake the robe and trousers free of ash before neatly folding them. Pam was always very tidy. He stacked her slacks with the rest of her belongings alongside the stake, and put the robe in the hamper in one of the guest rooms. Housekeeping would take care of his laundry, as always. He called a Supe cleaning service to get the blood and ash cleaned up and the window replaced. He called the front desk again and advised them of another visitor they should be expecting. He certainly didn't have the patience to deal with cleaning up this mess himself.

He heard the elevator coming and opened the door to the small penthouse lobby. The elevator doors opened and Alcide and Jake were there, along with a porter and a female Were he hadn't yet met. The shifters got out and the porter went back downstairs.

Alcide said, "Where's Sookie?"

"She's in the bedroom. Come in." They all looked at Pam's remains as they passed.

"I'm Maria-Star. I am so sorry for your loss. Pack Master Flood told us what happened. Or all he knew, at least."

"Yeah, have you figured out what all went down? Why didn't Sookie just leave if she was here all this time. Did someone hurt her?"

Sookie opened the door and ran to them. Eric should have known she wouldn't have been able to resist seeking comfort. Hell, he didn't even know if she'd understood him when he'd spoken to her. He'd felt no real change in the bond.

She threw herself into Alcide's arms and the Weres all froze. "Oh, Sunshine… Oh no."

Their nostrils were flaring, and they stood wooden. Alcide instinctively started pushing her away, trying to keep as much space from her as possible. Until she looked up at him sadly and he just melted into her.

Her fangs dropped, and her eyes filled with tears again. She covered her mouth with her hand and started to cry in earnest. Eric looked at them.

"She needs to feed. Pam was her maker, so there is no one to command her to stop in time if she cannot control herself. She has lost a lot of blood crying."

"It's ok, sweetheart. Go ahead. Eric will help you to stop before you take too much. And then Jake can have a go. Right, Jake?"

"Yeah, Sook. It's all good. You need to eat, Baby."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"It's, ok, Doll. It would be my pleasure to be your first meal."

None of them were even angry, at least not in the moment. Eric would have expected them all to attack the nearest vampire, since Pam was no longer available. They were all completely focused on her.

"Alcide, sit on the chair. Sookie, maybe try standing between his legs. Now lick the side of his neck until you find the vein, and then ease your fangs in. When you hear his heartbeat slow, you must let go. And then lick again to seal the wounds. I will help you to stop if you need me to."

She was trembling. When her face was at Alcide's throat, she buried her face in his neck and cried. He held her, rubbing her back and soothing her as best he could. Eric was very surprised to find that he didn't like it at all.

Alcide started rocking her, singing Three Little Birds to her under his breath. "Don't worry about a thing because every little thing's gonna be alright…" Eventually, she calmed down and Alcide pulled her away so he could look in her eyes. He wiped the blood from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"You can do this, Sunshine. You're strong as hell. You're a survivor, Sookie, and you need to eat."

She leaned forward and slowly licked his throat. Alcide moaned, and Eric was surprised to see that Alcide still wanted her. His initial rejection had melted away. She sank her teeth in slowly and drank.

Alcide's eyes rolled back in his head, and he had his hands in her hair. She swallowed five or six times, very gently pulled away, and licked his neck again. She looked in Alcide's eyes, and he kissed her deeply.

Jake said, "My turn. Move it Herveaux. I need me some Sunshine, too." Alcide pulled back and kissed her nose, and then switched places with Jake. She and Jake hugged long and hard for a couple of minutes, and then the whole thing repeated. Eric was frankly shocked by the whole thing. Not just her control, which was suddenly incredible, but that it was like all of the instinct had gone away. Yes, she was feeding. But these were Weres. And they didn't treat her like a vampire at all after the first minute or two. They treated her like a very desirable woman. And like an equal.

After she and Jake kissed, Jake got up and Maria-Star sat down without any discussion at all. "Oh, Sookie. I love you. Everything is going to be Ok." They hugged, Sookie fed, and then they kissed.

Sookie took a big, shaky breath, but was definitely calmer than she'd been since she'd woken up.

"Can we go home now?"

The wolves looked at each other and then at Sookie. Nobody said anything, but Sookie was obviously upset. She looked at Alcide. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then she closed it again. She looked at Jake. Frown lines appeared between her eyes and she crossed her arms. She looked at Alcide again, and then to Maria-Star. A couple of minutes later, her shoulders fell. What in the fuck was that?

"Somebody needs to tell me what in the fuck is going on."

Alcide called it using his inside voice, like they were kindergartners again. If they thought at her, she could hear them easily. They used it often in public to let her know where they were or to tell her things that shouldn't be overheard or to help keep her safe. They were so close that they could have whole conversations, and Sookie always seemed to look at the one who had the most important thing to think at her. The others would wait their turns.

As she'd fed from her wolves, they had told her how much they loved her, how sorry they were, and when they were starting to feel light-headed. The blood had been so good, and she'd been so hungry, but when they told her it was time, it was easy to stop. She couldn't hurt them.

After she'd fed from them, they'd told her that she needed to go with Eric. That he would take care of her. That they loved her very much, and they would visit and stay close, but they wouldn't be able to take care of her any longer. It was far too dangerous for her. And she needed to tell Eric about her telepathy so he could protect her.

Sookie took a deep breath. "I'm a telepath."

A seventeen year old homeless runaway orphaned _telepathic_ newborn vampire with very strange attachments to Weres from two different packs.

"Explain."

"I can read minds. Well, not can. Do. I don't really have any choice. My wolves are harder. You and Pam are… were… silent. I'm sorry."

Well, at least she couldn't read other vampires. Keeping her safe would have been much more difficult, and likely not worth the risk to himself. But a telepath would be extremely useful, and he found that he liked her, even if he loathed crying, and she had done little else since he'd arrived. Or, at least he found her interesting, which, at his age, was infinitely more important.

"Did any of you see a fairy on Sunday night?"

Jake said, "I've never seen one, so I have no idea."

"They are very beautiful. Their ears come to a point. They smell absolutely delicious."

Alcide said, "Yeah, I have no idea."

"Come. You can smell it on Sookie, but there is some isolated fairy scent in the bedroom. See if you recognize it."

They all followed him in, and then smiled.

Alcide said, "That's just Sookie. She was on E Sunday night, and when she peaks… Yum."

"My ears aren't pointy." And she was actually almost smiling.

When she took Ecstasy, she smelled exactly like a full-blooded fairy? How could that even be possible? Surely she wasn't a full-blooded fairy, or she would have turned to dust when she died. A hybrid, then. Something about the chemical must have interacted with the fairy blood to somehow make it smell and taste stronger. It certainly helped to explain how Pam had come to turn Sookie. She must have drained her accidentally and then panicked. He was sure that he would have felt it if he hadn't been halfway across the country.

A seventeen year old homeless runaway orphaned telepathic _fairy hybrid_ newborn vampire with very strange attachments to Weres from two different packs. Bonded to him.

Jesus fucking Christ.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written a whopping 3 paragraphs today, but meh. I don't need chapters held back. Right?!? Just say yes.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is following along and reading and kudosing and commenting and all of that stuff. And thanks to ilovemysteries for being awesome. 

Sookie said goodbye to her wolves and they left, and left her behind. She was so scared and had never felt more alone in her entire life. She desperately wanted to follow them. The tall guy, Eric, was pacing around and talking on the phone. He sounded mad. He was so terrifying. But her wolves had said that he would take care of her, and she didn't know what else to do. It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go. She sat on the floor against the wall and hugged her knees and just tried not to think about anything.

When Eric was finished on the phone, had shown the cleaners what they needed to tend to, and had changed his shirt after he'd cleaned himself up a bit, he squatted down a few feet in front of her. He was going to try very hard not to get impatient. "We must go down to the security office. I need to see the tapes for the time after you were turned. I need to find out what happened to Pam. Do you think you can control yourself around humans? If not, I will need to take you somewhere else first, and have others watch you."

"I'll be Ok."

He handed her one of his T-shirts and she got cleaned up as best she could in the bathroom and changed into it. It hung down well past her cut offs. She pulled the spent glow bracelets off of her wrists, threw them in the garbage, and took a deep breath. She followed him into the elevator.

They went down to the security office and Eric glamoured the security guard to stand quietly in the corner until they were through. He found the camera feed for the elevator and found the file for Monday, which began at midnight. At 1223, Sookie and Pam entered the lift.

Eric could tell how much her scent was affecting Pam. Hell, even now, as a vampire, she smelled good enough to eat. And drink. And he could certainly see why Pam had been interested even without the smell. The Sookie on the tape was absolutely compelling, even if he couldn't hear her voice. Or her laughter. He was able to read their lips, though. It was a big difference from the terrified vampire that looked like a cornered rabbit cowering behind him.

He watched Pam's last footage over and over again. And he found that, by the last couple of viewings, his gaze was being drawn to Sookie's side of the conversation more and more.

Finally, he let that go past and sped the tape up to find out who else had gone up to the penthouse. A pretty brunette got into the elevator and inserted a keycard. Eric growled.

From behind him. "Hadley?"

Eric turned, grabbed her throat, and slammed her into the wall.

"How do you know Hadley Delahoussaye?"

"Sh-sh-she's my c-cousin! I haven't seen her in two years or b-better."

"And you expect me to believe that Pam just happened to pick you up on the same night she was, I assume, staked by your spoiled rotten brat of a cousin?"

"Yes! It's the truth! I swear! Pam came on to me! I've been looking for Hadley for months and couldn't find her!" She still asked around about her regularly, but nobody she'd spoken to had seen her in well over a year.

He was probing the bond and had found no deceit in her at all. He set her down. He rewound the feed and he watched Hadley go up in the elevator, get out, and then get right back in again only a minute or two after the doors had closed. At that time of night, it wasn't called to a different floor in the interim. She went back down and exited into the lobby. He found that time on the lobby feed, and watched her leave the hotel. He checked the feed out front for the same time, and she walked down the street and out of sight. There was no entry for the penthouse lobby. Anywhere. It didn't seem to be connected to the system at all. He checked all of the camera feeds, and nothing.

He asked the glamoured security guard, "Where is the feed for outside the penthouse?"

"The camera's been busted for months. The replacement is on backorder."

Eric growled and nearly decapitated him, but held his fists clenched at his sides instead.

Sookie tried not to cry anymore. She just wrapped her arms around herself and tried to disappear into the wall. She was willing herself not to run away. Not to scream for help. She was a monster now. If anyone came, they would be the ones who would need help. She might hurt them, or worse.

Eric rewound the feed of the front of the hotel until he found Hadley approaching from the parking lot. He checked the parking lot feed and watched her walking the rows until she found Pam's car. She checked the license plate carefully. He backtracked again and watched her approaching the parking lot on foot from the other direction. Hadley had arrived not 15 minutes after Pam's car had been parked by the valet.

There really wasn't anything else for him to see. She would have had to have had a penthouse or master key card, but that could have easily been bought or glamoured from any number of people, at any point in time, really. He watched the elevator feed again. Minutes after Hadley got out, a server with a room service trolley got in. She chose the button for the penthouse and inserted her master key card into the slot. At the top floor, the server pushed the trolley out, and then got right back in, empty-handed. The next evening, housekeeping took the trolley back down.

He needed to kill Hadley, but he couldn't just walk up to the palace and kill her in front of the Queen. And he needed to know why she had done it. He needed to plan, and it was nearing dawn. And he needed to do… something with Sookie.

"Come." Reluctantly, she followed him back upstairs. The cleaners were just finishing up. There was a new pane of treated glass in the window, Pam's ashes were cleared away, and the blood smears and drops were all gone. Eric tipped them well and they left.

He was not comfortable with having her out of his sight, as unpredictable as she was. Even if she would be out before he was pulled to his rest, and he would rise before her. He was… distracted. She was liable to jump out the window again.

"It will be dawn soon. You will be dying for the day. You will rise again after the sun sets. We will rest here tonight. We have some things to do in New Orleans before we go back to Shreveport. You will be able to see your Wolves again in a night or two. Are you hungry again?"

She shrugged and then shook her head.

"There are many things that you will need to be taught. Normally, of course, this would be the job of your maker. Once we get back to Shreveport, I will find a suitable foster for you. In the meantime, I will try to teach you all you need to know in the first few nights.

He was about to go on, but she didn't really look as if she were processing much right then. And dawn was very close. He led her to the bedroom and said, "You need supervision. I'm afraid you must rest in here with me. I promise not to touch you."

She shrugged and climbed into bed and curled up in a ball, as close to the edge as she could get.

Sookie was used to sleeping with her wolves like a litter of puppies, all cuddled up together, or even piled on top of each other. And she shared beds with tons of people, all the time. On stormy nights, they always had a few car seat surfers. Their community was pretty tight knit and sometimes she crashed in an RV or at a squat with friends when they were all having too much fun to end their night. There was always a wolf close by, and they were way stronger than any teenage humans. Plus she could read minds to snoop out any ill intentions. She hadn't slept alone since those first two nights after she had run away. As much as she didn't like Eric, and was still scared of him, she didn't really like the idea of sleeping alone, either. Her wolves said to trust him, and she didn't really feel like she could trust herself.

She was dead for the day within a minute or two. He laid down next to her in his boxers. She really was an attractive little thing. But so timid. She didn't really seem much like a vampire at all. Her behaviour certainly wasn't typical. If she got a handle on herself, she would have a very easy time passing for human, at least. And part of him felt almost drawn to protect her. He supposed it has something to do with the bond, and maybe just her connection to Pam.

As he was just starting to drift off, she molded herself against him. She had even managed to turn over so she was facing him. He frowned. At his age, resisting the pull of the sun for a little while was no great matter. But Sookie should have been dead - immobile until the sun set again. He pushed her back over onto her side of the bed and rolled onto his back. A moment or two later, she was pressed right up against him again. He rolled onto his side, facing her, to push her back again. Her arm snaked around his waist, and she nuzzled her face into his chest. He had no place for his arm but around her back. He stroked her hair a little, and sniffed it. She really did smell wonderful. The notes of Pam almost made him feel like she was close by. And, frankly, he could use the comfort, too. He held her a little closer to him and let the sun carry him away to his daytime death.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey everyone! Writing is going slowly, but it's going. My brain is a little broken right now, but hopefully sleep will happen and it won't be such mush. I will try very hard to get a couple more things out this week (both 7 and 22 of YNB are on the go) and reply to some reviews. :) Thanks so much for reading and commenting and kudosing and bookmarking and subscribing. And thanks to ilovemysteries for being so great. And to Smurf for keeping me company in the middle of the night. :P

Chapter 6

When he rose, he discovered that she had turned over again in her rest. Her back was spooned against his chest, and his nose was buried in the crook of her neck. His cock, so fucking hard, was wedged against her ass. Fuck. After taking a deep sniff, and then another, he carefully pushed her again to the other side of the bed. She wouldn't be rising for another half an hour, but he didn't want her to think that he had pulled her to him and broken his word. She rolled onto her back, but then was still.

He felt so much closer to her this evening. She seemed so fragile, and he felt even more protective of her after spending the day with her in his arms. Pam had been his, and she was Pam's. And didn't that make her his now that Pam was gone? He wondered at his sudden change of hear… mind.

He needed to go to Sophie-Anne's to announce Pam's final death. And, of course, to find out whether or not she was responsible for Pam's final death. But Sookie was a major complication. Hadley, who did everything she could to gain attention, would almost certainly have run her mouth if she had a telepathic cousin. He wouldn't be able to hide Sookie from the Queen for long, even if they went straight back to Shreveport. Vampires gossip incessantly. If he showed up anywhere with a newborn, everyone would talk and word would get back to the Queen quickly. Plus Sookie really needed access to a few donors. And she could read Hadley's mind and find out why she had staked Pam.

But, as he had thought the night before, Sookie was orphaned in Sophie-Anne's area. Being his child's child was not enough of a claim to overpower the Queen's desires; if the Queen wanted to lay claim to Sookie, she would. But nobody besides them and the Weres knew that Pam was Sookie's maker. If everyone thought Sookie was his… They were already bound after all, and now he couldn't imagine sending Sookie to someone else to foster, anyway. Trying to convince Sookie to do that kind of exchange after last night was not going to be a walk in the park, though.

He watched her for a few moments. She really did seem almost human. Nearly alive. She wasn't breathing, of course, but her nose even twitched in her rest. And then she stretched and opened her eyes and looked at him. He hadn't even had a chance to think about what he was going to say. How was she awake so early?

"Good evening, Sookie."

"Hi."

He thought maybe lying down was the best way to have this conversation. So he wasn't looming over her. He propped himself up on one elbow.

"Sookie, Hadley belongs to the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. Hadley staked Pam. I recognized her scent on the stake, once I knew what I was smelling for. Do you think you would be able to read Hadley's mind to see why she did it?"

She just looked at him for a long time.

"But she's my cousin."

"I know. Does she know that you are a telepath?"

"Well, sure. I guess so. Nobody really talked about it, but yeah." The only times were when her Mama asked her to use it to steal or cheat. She always lied and said she couldn't make it out, or they wouldn't think of the right information, or they just didn't know. Her Mama thought that she was useless as well as creepy.

For some reason she didn't understand, Sookie felt bad about Pam, but she wasn't going to help Eric kill Hadley, either. She was sure Had wouldn't have just killed someone for no reason. But what if she could find something that would clear Hadley's name somehow?

"Would you be willing to try?"

She shrugged, but then nodded.

"You no longer have a maker, and you were made and orphaned in the Queen's area. Hadley has almost certainly told her of your telepathy, and if she hasn't, she will as soon as she sees you. As things stand, the Queen would be able to order you to do whatever she wishes. You would be at her complete mercy. She would use you for your gift, at the very least, but you are very attractive and you smell delicious besides. I do not think you would enjoy the palace, Sookie, or being under the Queen's thumb. Or Andre's, especially. He is very quick with the use of torture for those who do not do what they are told. If you stay with me, you will have your own space. You will be able to make your own decisions, for the most part. I will protect you, teach you everything you need to know, and give you as much autonomy as I am able. I will treat you as if you were my own progeny.

"Sookie, I don't know how, but we already share a bond. I can already feel your emotions. If I drink much of your blood, and then give you much of mine, it will strengthen the bond, and you would smell like me. Others would not be able to tell that you are not mine. According to Vampire law, my claim as your maker would protect you from the Queen. It's likely that I wouldn't be able to command you, but I would be able to communicate with you through the bond, in a way, and prove the connection. And it would make training easier. I should be able to push emotions at you as well, although that might take another exchange or two. I could calm you if you started getting out of control. We would feel more connected to each other, more like maker and child."

"But what if I don't want to?"

"Then you will likely be taken by the Queen. You are too well-known around the city, and you would almost certainly not be allowed out of the palace again until after we come out in the open. It will be at least five years. Probably closer to seven. Your wolves would likely not be welcome at the palace, unless they applied for security positions."

She started to cry again. He pulled her to him, and she went easily enough, sobbing into his chest. He kissed the crown of her head, and then wondered at himself for doing such a thing.

"I know I behaved poorly yesterday, Sookie. I was… am… very upset about Pam. I am a good maker. Fair. I've even been accused of spoiling Pam. You would be treated very well. I am the Sheriff of my area, and I would demand that others treat you with respect."

And she made him feel closer to Pam. And maybe having a project would help him through his grief. And he hated the thought of being childless, or at least without one whom he needed, and who needed him. And she was a telepath, which would prove extremely useful. And he needed to make sure that she was protected. And she could help him to find out why Pam was finally killed.

She had stopped crying and pulled away from him.

"What about me?"

"I do not understand what you mean."

She looked at him and then looked away. "You said that you would protect me and teach me what I need to know and treat me well and make others respect me. What do you expect me to do in return?"

He really should have figured that one out.

"I will only expect you to listen and do as you are told."

She stiffened. Maybe she really wasn't so timid after all...

"I will only ask things of you that are reasonable, Sookie. I will not touch you against your will, or force you to do things that you find morally wrong." At least not to start. But morals change.

"Do I have to decide right now?"

"I am afraid so. We need to go to the palace so that you can feed." And so that he could find out why Hadley killed Pam.

Her wolves had told her that she should trust him. That their Pack Master had vouched for him. He had scared her - a lot - and he'd been really mean, but he hadn't actually hurt her. And he'd saved her when she jumped out the window. What in the hell had that been all about? And she had liked Pam, before she had started biting her, at least, and Eric had said that Pam couldn't have helped it if Sookie smelled like a fairy. And being a prisoner in the palace didn't sound like much of a choice.

She sighed. "Ok." It was almost a whisper.

He sat up against the headboard, and directed her to sit between his legs. Because he'd been such an ass, he even set a pillow down in front of his cock first. He moved the hair away from her neck, and while he hadn't meant to run his nose along her throat, he had. She smelled delicious. He would formalize the bond with the knife when they returned to Shreveport, and he would register her as his own progeny. And after they used the knife, it would be true to the letter of the law and not just the spirit. Well, more or less.

But no one would have cause to question his word that Sookie was his. She would smell like him. She was certainly his type, blonde and blue-eyed like his Pam. Like him. Hadley hadn't been out of the elevator long enough to stake Pam and see Sookie dead in the bedroom. Pam must have been in quite a state indeed to let someone like Hadley get the better of her.

Since he could fly and often used the door off the balcony in the living room, nobody could track his comings and goings to prove that she wasn't his with surveillance cameras, either. He had seen no other vampires other than William and Sookie since Thursday night in California, and it was now the following Thursday. After speaking with Pack Master Flood and Sookie's Weres, there shouldn't be any problems.

He bit her neck and stifled a groan. Her blood was at room temperature, of course, like his, but it _tasted_ warm. And very much like sun-kissed sweetness. So incongruous for a vampire to call to mind the sunshine, but it was hard to deny. Even now, as a child of the night, she _was_ Sunshine.

And she also tasted of Pam, and pain clawed at his chest. After tonight, she would taste more like him than Pam, and he would never be able to taste her like this again. He savored every drop.

He was full, but he still had a hard time stopping. He needlessly licked her neck and then gave her his wrist. When she bit, and then started to suck, it almost felt like she was sucking his cock. He had to smother another groan. What in the fuck? He had given his blood to injured vampires many times before, and had even exchanged blood with Pam during sex a few times over a century ago, and never had it done anything like this. He wondered what it would feel like if they bit each other at the same time. And he thanked the gods that he had thought to put that pillow down. And that he had a change of pants in the closet.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! A little bit more interaction before Sookie and Eric hit the palace. And new YnB tomorrow. :D Someone is coming to visit. Thanks to ilovemysteries for betaing!

Chapter 7

Sookie didn't know if she wanted to curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment, or climb aboard and ride Eric into the sunset. Which she had actually _felt_ a half an hour or so before. That whole exchange, from being bitten to biting him, had been the most… erotic thing she had ever experienced in her life. And erotic wasn't something she'd ever really even thought about before. Sex was generally just a tool she used for having a good time and feeling closer to her wolves, or for getting out of trouble. Nothing that had felt that good had ever felt so serious before. Well, if anything had ever even _felt_ that good before. And they hadn't even been having sex! But what else would you call it when you had an actual orgasm from being bitten and drank from, and then another one from biting someone's wrist and drinking their blood? His was delicious and made her feel powerful. And the blood felt like it was supposed to be a part of her somehow. She felt a connection to it right away, like her blood recognized his, and welcomed it into her body or something. But that was just weird and didn't make any sense at all.

When they were through, she really did feel closer to him. And not just because of the sex-that-wasn't-sex part _._ She could feel how much he wanted to protect her. She could feel that she was his now, too. And she liked it. She found herself snuggling back into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes. She just felt incredibly safe with him. Which was crazy! She had been terrified of him just the night before. But now that she could feel him inside of her, she really had no choice but to trust him. He was as laid bare to her as she was to him. And it was kind of like her internal compass had just realigned. The wolves had been her protectors Before The Exchange. Now, After The Exchange, it was Eric. She still loved them, so much, but she felt like this was how it was supposed to be now. They were still her wolves, but now he was her Eric, and she was his.

And yet she didn't really know him at all. She wasn't usually shy - just the opposite, actually; ever since she had left Bon Temps, she had made friends everywhere she went - but she felt so shy with him. She felt like a great big contradiction, but so much more grounded and relieved than she had since she had woken up and hid in the bathtub. And whole. And like things might be Ok again, at some point.

Eric's compass had shifted as well. At least as it pertained to his status as a maker. The needle had just been spinning since he had felt Pam's final death. But Sookie was his new North. It wasn't the same as the connection he had felt with Pam. But, of course, his bond with Pam was nothing like his bond with Karin, either. And this one was different than both, but Sookie _was_ his child now. As much as she was Pam's, at least as far as he was concerned. She needed him. And the fact that she was a seventeen year old homeless runaway orphaned telepathic fairy hybrid newborn vampire didn't feel quite like such a burden any longer. At that moment, at least. It was just a laundry list of things that proved how much she did need him. The very strange connection with Weres from two different packs would take some getting used to, though.

He wanted her, but he would let her come to him in her own time. And he would encourage her to use the donors as she wished. She needed sex as well as blood. But right then, he felt that she needed reassurance, and he held her a little closer. He could feel at the time that the exchange had affected her as it had him, but the moment had passed, and now he felt her embarrassment. He pushed calm at her, and she visibly relaxed.

His motivation to find out what exactly had happened to Pam and why had not wavered. In fact, now he needed to know for Sookie's sake as well as his own. He was anxious to get going, but it was early, and he could tell that Sookie needed a little more time. She had much to come to terms with, and he was going to need to be much more patient with her.

"Sookie, our visit to the palace is going to be very delicate. I suspect that the Queen is responsible for Pam's death, but I cannot let on that I know. I also cannot go back to Shreveport without going by the palace first. Not after Pam's final death here in the city. And not with a newborn. It would raise too many questions.

"I will destroy the surveillance footage first, so I will be able to tell her that I was unable to view it. We will need to be very careful."

It was going to be potentially very dangerous. He hated the idea of taking her, but he really didn't have a choice. He hated politics, but it was unfortunately how things were done. He had a part to play and, especially as Sheriff, there were things that were expected of him that he absolutely had to do. He also couldn't pass up the opportunity to look the Queen in the face when he told her about Pam. And for Sookie to read Hadley's mind. But he needed to be prepared if they were walking into a trap. It was a precarious position to be in.

Sookie's Weres had brought up her belongings before they had left, and she took some clothes into the bathroom to shower.

He had swept the suite for bugs earlier, and it was clean, as it had always been. He paid very well to ensure it. He had a fresh burner phone and a new SIM card in the bedside table. He had some calls to make.

It was still too early to call the west coast, but William would agree, if asked, to say that he had left Los Angeles on Friday, he was sure. The two of them had spent the weekend locked in a room devising a plan for William to ascend to the throne of California. Eric was not willing to join the fight, but he was happy to lend an ear and a few ideas, under the table. And he would support William openly were he successful. He was in The Viper Room for less than a minute, and he would ask William, who had set him up with what's her name, to glamour her to forget him tonight. She already thought his name was Leif.

Pack Master Flood told him that he would say that Sookie had contacted Alcide on Wednesday after rising, if asked. That she had told Alcide that she had met Eric through Pam on Sunday night, had gone with him to his safehouse of her own volition, and had agreed to be turned. He would have been free to make the calls about Pam and even travel to the warehouse while waiting for Sookie to rise. Flood would contact Sookie's Weres, and they would corroborate. Flood knew that the palace was no place for a girl like Sookie. Hopefully nobody would have cause to go digging, but it was better to have his bases covered if anyone did.

When Sookie got out of the bathroom, he asked her to follow him into the living room. He sat on the couch and she hesitated. He could feel her indecision, and her longing to sit next to him. He was pleased that she was warming to him so quickly, despite how he had treated her in the beginning. He patted the cushion next to him and she stiffly sat down at the edge of the seat. He pulled her against him, and she relaxed almost immediately

"Tell me about your telepathy."

"Well, really, I should be having a hard time keeping the thoughts out in a hotel, but my shields are holding up really well. I can block the thoughts on my own sometimes, but it usually takes a lot of effort and doesn't work that great. Most of the time, I just smoke weed and the thoughts kind of slide right off."

"How does it work? Can you search through memories?"

"Oh, no. Thank goodness. I can only hear what people are thinking in the moment. I hear way more than I want to as it is."

"Hadley might not be thinking of Pam's final death."

"Well, no. But if someone mentions Pam, she'll probably think of it. And, if not, I can be discreet."

"Keep in mind that vampires have excellent hearing. And older vampires, like the Queen and her progeny, will have much better hearing than yours. And there will be cameras and microphones everywhere."

Sookie muttered, "But no pressure, right?" and Eric tried to hold back a smile. The longer he knew her, the more he liked her. And he certainly didn't expect to be feeling like this just 24 hours past the time she had jumped out the window, either.

He explained the politics of visiting the palace and the things that would be expected of her as a subject of the Queen. She was doing a lot better with taking in new information, and he realized how bright she was when she wasn't completely overwhelmed. She really was coming around incredibly quickly, and was displaying amazing control.

If he hadn't been so concerned about Sookie, part of him would be looking forward to the prospect of trouble. He desperately wanted to make some heads roll. And he would, but this was definitely not the time. She was not going to leave his sight, he would make sure. And, if he thought things were going sideways, he would grab her and run. But he didn't think it would come to that. He would have been called to the palace by now if that was Sophie-Anne's game.

"Come, Sookie. Before we go to the palace, we need to go back down to the security office. I will take the opportunity to teach you to glamour." He got a couple of things out of the desk drawer in the corner of the room and stuck it in his pocket before they headed out.

They went back down in the elevator. She was nervous and hesitant until he held her hand, and then she calmed down immediately. He felt that she wanted the reassurance and connection, but was still too shy to instigate it herself. It was no matter. He would do it for her. She was obviously very affectionate with her Weres, and he was a tactile vampire, too.

Down in the security office, he told her what to do. "Look in his eyes, Sookie. Make him heed you. Tell him to stay out of our way until we are through."

Sookie looked at the Security guard, and he immediately moved to stand beside the wall. Interesting.

Eric sat down at the computer and deleted all of the files for Monday. They had been at the security office after midnight the night before, so he deleted the files for Thursday as well. He copied and pasted Sunday's files twice, and renamed the copies to correspond with Monday's and Thursday's files. It was just past midnight. He left today's as is; if the files survived, it would only prove that they had tried to view the surveillance footage. He cleared the computer's recycle bin and made sure that the deleted files were truly gone. He took apart the computer case and took the screwdriver and very strong magnet from his pocket. He detached the hard drive and very meticulously wiped it clean with the magnet. He put it all back together again. The computer would not boot. Excellent. Eric got up and stood by the door.

"Ok, Sookie. Glamour the man to forget we were here. And that he had been having computer issues all day."

She blew out a deep breath and walked over to the security guard again. She caught his eyes and a minute later he walked back to the desk and sat down. He looked past Eric as if he wasn't standing there at all.

"Fucking piece of shit computer." The security guard shut it off and on again, and then picked up his phone and started to dial. A few seconds later, he said into the receiver, "This fucking computer has been giving me crap all night, and it finally shit the bed. What do I do now?"

The guard started trying to troubleshoot, and Eric opened the door. He and Sookie left. It was a very effective bit of glamour, and she hadn't said one word. This was going to work so much better than he could have hoped.

Sookie let out a big sigh of relief. She had done a good job. The man had done everything she had wanted him to. And, even better, she should be able to get Hadley to think about killing Pam, no matter who was around. She had _felt_ the glamour working before she had said anything at all, so she had decided to just try it, and it had really paid off. She could hear in the man's head what she wanted him to do, and he did it.

She hoped that she hadn't just signed Hadley's death warrant. She was the only real family Sookie had left. She sure as hell didn't count her mother or her great uncle. She really hoped that Had hadn't killed Pam, but who else could it have been? Maybe she'd been forced. She hoped Eric would listen to reason if she found something out that would let Hadley off the hook.

She looked up at him shyly. He was holding her hand again in the elevator, going down to the lobby so they could leave for the palace. He was really handsome. And he could be really nice, when he wasn't being a scary monster. And that blood exchange had been so hot. She kind of wanted to fuck him, and wondered if he would want to fuck her, too. Probably not, if she was his child now. But maybe…

He looked down at her and smiled, and she smiled back and leaned into him. He put his arm around her and kissed her temple, and her stomach sort of flip flopped. The elevator doors opened, and the moment ended. He took her hand again, and they walked through the lobby to the front doors.


End file.
